Using the SSSC Codes in practice

01/09/2017

East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership ran a series of Toolbox Talks to help raise awareness of the revised SSSC Codes of Practice in early 2017. Hazel Cadwell, SVQ Co-ordinator and Jan McKenzie, SVQ Assessor tell us how they went.

Why did you run the Toolbox Talks?

We wanted to raise awareness of the Codes and also highlight the changes in the revised version. We also wanted to find out how the Codes are used.

What did you do?

The Toolbox Talks are interactive so staff had to work with the Codes by carrying out exercises like a quiz with questions looking at why there are Codes and what kinds of behaviour and values they cover. We also looked at fitness to practise asking staff what they thought would be considered as an impairment of fitness to practise.

There was also time to speak about creative ways we could use the Codes as a development tool in supervision and reflect on the Codes and professional values.

Who was involved?

We invited everyone working in social services as part of the East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership and 86 people came to five talks. This included people working in adults and children’s services. We held talks in different places so as many people as possible could come.

What impact did the talks have?

Feedback from the talks was positive and staff said they would tell other workers about it. It also gave people some protected time to sit and look at the new Codes.

How did staff use the Codes?

We found that for many people the Codes were used as a punitive measure. We also found a lot of the staff said the same kind of stuff, we are social services staff, we live, breathe and sleep values but we asked how do they evidence this in practice?

What will you do next?

We realised we have a lot of work to do to make sure the Codes are being used in supervision and evidence. We are looking at ways the Codes could be used developmentally and how to make more use of them in supervision.

We will be rolling out the Toolbox Talk to senior personal carers and everyone able to register from October this year (care at home and housing support). We’re also developing our managers so they can deliver the Toolbox Talk to their own staff.

How do you use the Codes?

Do you use it in supervision or staff appraisals? For post registration training and learning? Or something else?

Send us details of how you use the Codes in your organisation and we’ll share it with others.